Neighbors Killing Neighbors Over Noise - How Far Off Track Have We Gone?

Most of us, it seems, choose to ignore it. Better to live with it, we say, than to confront the offender and find ourselves involved in a bitter neighbor versus neighbor dispute.

So we wait, perhaps buy earplugs, maybe eventually have a word with the neighbor about their - pick one - motorcycle, loud music, leafblower, barking dog, power saw. Nothing happens.

The noise continues, the long hours without sleep drag by as the kid with the subwoofers trolls the neighborhood - Boom, BraBraBoom, BraBraBOOM. Into the night.

You might think it is an urban problem, but not so. Many people longing for the peace and quiet of the suburbs have found that the urban mindset has followed them there.

"I can make noise," the offenders seem to be saying. "Therefore I am. Who are you to tell me to turn it down?"

We're at a critical juncture, as more and more neighbors are finding there is no local authority willing to deal with the problem and, therefore, believe they have to solve the problem themselves.

This is leading to violent, sometimes lethal confrontations. In Richmond last week a man who had asked this his neighbors lower the bass emanating from speakers they'd mounted against their windows and aimed at the world decided to adopt a different tact.

Demaurier Bullard, new to the 500 block of Sixth Street, had enough.

"That's basically it," Detective Sgt. Bisa French told the West County Times. "He had just moved in and was staying around the corner. He went and told them to be quiet, and they basically told him they weren't going to be quiet."

On the night of March 17 the Oakland man strapped on a bulletproof vest, armed himself with a handgun and went back to the house he knew was making all the noise.

Bullard followed a woman in the front door and shot an aspiring rapper named Latoi Stevens who was standing just inside. Stevens died on the spot. Bullard ran off into the night.

Another local case that gained widespread attention recently involved two Modesto men, one of whom parked his pickup truck on his front lawn and turned up his car stereo - the music blaring for several hours.

Mario Martinez, 25, was a bouncer at a local bar described by friends as a "peacekeeper" but it appears he was pretty angry when an ex-navy man and neighbor named William Gibbs, 45, drove to his home on Reseda Lane in north Modesto and asked him to turn his music off.

Martinez ignored the request and a friend of his, also partying in the house that afternoon, turned the music off until Gibbs went away - then promptly turned it back up.

What happened next is in dispute, Martinez's family saying he was intentionally run down while Gibbs told investigators several young men - including Martinez - ran out of the home and attacked him when he returned, reached into the truck and turned down its sound system.

The coroner reports Martinez died after falling from the hood of the car onto the pavement as Gibbs pulled away. Alcohol and drugs were reportedly found in his system. Gibbs was arrested at his home, a short distance away.

It seems to us both tragedies could have been averted if existing laws relative to noise had been enforced. But they were not, and people are dying.

Over noise.

Three Bucks for Swill? What's Lamorinda Coming To?

Apologies to the San Francisco Chronicle, who first launched their hunt for the perfect cup of coffee in San Francisco back in 1963, declaring "A Great City's People Forced to Drink Swill."

Swill back then cost about 30cents for a cup of San Francisco Joe, twice-brewed for cops and firemen (they were all mostly men then) and strong enough to stand a horseshoe up in. Today they have us, well - most of us - shelling out more than Three Bucks a shot for the foamy stuff, and we're not talking Guinness.

East Bay Daze embarked on a hunt for a decent morning latte and espresso and came up woefully, tragically short. After dealing with disinterested sales clerks, malfunctioning machines and the general hubbub of some local Java Hotspots, we invested in our own home machine and enjoy it whenever the kids are gone and it's quiet enough to hear hummingbird wings.

How about you? Still lining up for your morning eye-opener? Found a secret sanctuary you fancy, where you can spread out the morning paper, have a latte and a biscotti and let time drift?

Submit your favorite coffee haunts by clicking HERE.

"Snuggie" Sightings in Lafayette, Residents Say "Oh, No!"

She walked into a Lafayette grocery store, swathed head to foot and then some in a blue sea of fleece.

First thoughts of "deranged Cultist" and "Franciscan Monk," evaporated as people pointed, identified the wearer as "Sue," (Not her real name, EastBayDaze believes in protecting the identity of people who don floor-length fleece capes with arms and go out in public).

Turns out, she's an accountant. She says she gets cold easily so she invested in one of those Snuggies the TV hucksters are pushing on those smarmy channels where you can also get a "genuine, synthetic, half-inch wide pearl Angel necklace for $12.99 - even less when they have a special.

Sales of these things are peaking, apparently, and they are making their way out into our communities. Whaddaya think? Would you wear one out in public?

Home Invasions Have W.C. Police On Alert

Walnut Creek police have beefed up their presence in semi-rural parts of their city after two residential home invasion robberies there.

The most recent robbery took place Wednesday evening at a home in the 700 block of Stonehaven Drive when the woman of the house answered a knock on her front door and was immediately confronted by two men, one holding a handgun, who demanded cash.

The men fled without taking anything, police said. Walnut Creek police and the sheriff's office are looking into whether the robbery was connected to a similar incident in unincorporated Walnut Creek.

Police described one of the suspects as a man in his 20s, 6 feet tall with a slender build, wearing a gray sweatshirt, dark pants and carrying a chrome or silver-colored handgun. The second suspect was also described as a man in his 20s, but standing 5 feet 10 inches tall and wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt.

A more detailed description of the suspects was unavailable because their faces were obscured, presumably by a hood or similar type of covering.

EastBayDaze has expressed concern about the van loads of "reformed delinquents" posing as door-to-door magazine salesmen who have been bused into our neighborhoods in recent weeks. A Lafayette woman, Elizabeth Vuori, was murdered when she opened her door to one of these people and allowed him inside.

Butterfly Flights Dazzle Lafayette-Moraga Trail Users

Attempting to get a shot of these guys on the wing is a lot like herding cats but they've been buffeting walkers and bikers using the trail in Moraga for the last 24 hours.

We believe it is the "April Flight" of the Painted Lady but we're still conducting research. All we know is that they are beautiful and that they land in our garden and we like that.

They appear to be heading northward and their singlemindedness suggests some sort of migratory pattern, perhaps to Canada. We remain uninitiated but appreciative.

Moraga Spelling Bee Ace Nails "Amaxophobia" - Goes On To Washington!

We love spelling bees, always have. And we hold those who triumph in these contests in very high esteem.

That said, we would like to bestow our First Annual East Bay "Dazy" award to Miss Caroline Bell of Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School for her first place showing in the 33rd Annual Contra Costa Times Spelling Bee.

Photo Left: Caroline, at her moment of triumph. Photo by Dan Rosentrauch/CCTimes

Caroline nailed "amaxophobia," (fear of riding in cars) and earned her trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., in May.

Inveterate readers, under-the-sheet-by-flashlight journal scribblers and cool kids from 109 schools across Contra Costa County came to the Tice Valley Community Gym Saturday to square off over words and find out who was top dog Saturday.

Caroline battled all comers and took the trophy, giving a hug and a high five to the second place finisher (sportsmanship lives). She also gets a savings bond and - go figure - a dictionary, but her mom says she already has most of that memorized.

We're proud of you, Caroline. Nice job!

Orinda Woman Seriously Injured In Marin Motorcycle Crash

A Sausalito man and Orinda woman remained hospitalized in critical condition Friday after being thrown from their motorcycle on a freeway onramp Thursday evening in Terra Linda.

Anthony John Morton Butt, 35, and Olivia Stein, 23, were being treated at Marin General Hospital for major injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol. Butt suffered injuries to the head and face and a broken nose, and Stein had injuries to the head and face as well as internal injuries, said CHP Sgt. Gilbert Osuna.

The crash occurred shortly before 9:30 p.m. on the ramp from Manuel T. Freitas Parkway to southbound Highway 101.

The pair fell onto the pavement when Butt lost control of the 2005 Harley-Davidson he was driving as they entered the freeway. The motorcycle slid 175 feet.

Emergency crews found both riders unconscious when they reached the scene. The cause of the crash was under investigation.

EastBayDaze Launches Neighborhood Crime Report - Book 'Em, Danno

We've lived here a long time, seen a lot of things both wonderful and some less than wonderful. One thing we've noticed is the apparent omission of a comprehensive neighborhood crime reporting system.

Now, our tri-city departments - Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda - do great work with what they have but they will be the first to tell us that they are undermanned and that that situation is likely to continue as general fund monies dry up.

We have often wondered why events and criminal acts we know have taken place appear to have gone unreported, both by the police and traditional press. Some of the backstories of these crimes are interesting in that they shed light on the criminal mindset and trending of criminal patterns in our neighborhoods.

Example: We live on Fernwood. A neighbor had his car stolen one night - apparently by a San Leandro gang-banger who was cruising Moraga with his girlfriend looking for a car to boost. They've done this before. The car is eventually spotted in Hayward - the banger and his pit bull inside - and, after a short but high-speed chase, recovered.

My neighbor is overjoyed, until he finds out the car is underperforming and brings it in for a tuneup. That's when the mechanic pulls a bag of cocaine out of the air filter. It seems banger boy cruised Moraga with his girlfriend, a local college student, found the car he wanted and had her boost it around midnight - our "quiet" street perfect for the deed. He lived in the car - with his dog, got rid of the girlfriend and peddled dope - for several weeks until he was spotted.

We found this information interesting and took steps to keep it from happening to us. Last week, we chased away a known gang of "roaming door-to-door" magazine salesmen who have committed crimes on unsuspecting neighbors who open their doors to them in the past. They left the area as soon as we broke down their story and called MPD - apparently moving over into Lafayette but not before several of our neighbors wrote them checks ranging from $40 to $100 to "help out" the "Moraga Bandits" - a local baseball team which, of course, does not exist.

None of this was reported. Except at Eastbaydaze.com.

So let's do it ourselves. If you KNOW of a criminal act - burglary, prowling, theft, noise violations, give us the location and time and we'll keep a rolling record. That way, we'll get a clearer picture of what's happening around Lamorinda - and that's what we're all about.

Stay safe!

History Repeats Itself As St. Mary's Gives "Booth Stuffing" That Old College Try Today

We don't know where they're going to find a telephone booth (I mean, weren't all those things collected and sunk to make an artificial reef or something?) but the fun-loving kids at St. Mary's College in Moraga will be recreating a magical moment in school history today.

Some of us, ahem, older types remember when having at good time at the college didn't entail a beer pump (well, maybe it did) but in any case a hardy bunch of contemporary collegians will attempt to recreate the successful 1959 stuffing of a phone booth with - drum roll here - 22 men apparently not subject to cramping or claustophobia.

You neanderthals out there remember that phone booth stuffing was all the rage in 1959, with colleges competing with each other to claim the prize of "Stuffiest Phone Booth."

It all began when a college in South Africa announced it had been able to fit twenty-five students into a callbox made for one, establishing an unofficial "world record" that has never been broken.

This set the competition off to a rousing start that Spring of 1959. Before coming to the North America, a group of London University students packed into one of the wide-body call boxes they have over there. But unlike their South African counterparts, they were only able to fit nineteen even though their booth was bigger.

Some tried using extra-large fraternity hall phone booths, and a group of Canadian students were able to jam forty of themselves into one. However, this was considered cheating, looked upon with derision, and from then on only standard American sized booths were used to pack people in. At a junior college in Modesto, a phone booth was donated by the phone company and the students turned it on its side. They succeeded in going thirty-four people high, but their record was argued as invalid. This yet led to another rule that the phone booth had to be upright.

In April of 1959 seven men from Fresno College crammed into a phone booth submerged in a swimming pool. Not to be outdone, the woman of Fresno College succeeded in jamming eight in the Fresno Hacienda Motel pool.

Ever the sticklers, the British came up with a rule that one of the inhabitants had to either place a call or answer a ringing phone while packed inside. While this was quickly adopted in Britain, rebellious American stuffers demurred.

MIT took a "scientific" approach, and were able to seat nineteen carefully and comfortably in a fraternity phone cubicle that was much larger than the regularly used type of booth. But the most efficient by far was the group at St. Mary's College in Moraga. They were encouraged to "Beat South Africa" and almost did, fitting twenty-two specially chosen students into a booth with a carefully planned and well-executed "crosshatch" stacking technique.

As it happened, a LIFE Magazine photographer was on hand to record the proud moment. This time around, there will be competition in both male and female box stuffing.

East Bay Daze will be on hand to record the contortions, as will a couple of original "stuffers." No word if they will be trying to duplicate their original feat.

Fighting the "Good Fight" - Lamorindans Rally for Change

Stiltifying laws, non-responsive public officials, "in-your-face" situations neighbors face every day are forcing desperate outreach for solutions among many Lamorindans these days.

Speeding. Noisy neighbors. A pesky barking dog. Minor annoyances to some, major headaches to others, particularly after the situation is allowed to go on for some time.

What do you do? Call the police? They're strapped, folks... and undermanned. Call your town? Also dodgy. Sue? Who wants to? But it is being done. Solve it yourself? Be careful, that can land you in hot water.

No matter the issue, be it traffic on neighborhood streets, student neighbors hosting three or four hundred of their closest friends for parties equipped with booming bass systems, "inflatables," and strippers - neighbors are looking for answers.

Neighbors on Larch Avenue and Corliss Drive in Moraga are patiently navigating the town's new TSAC complaint process, which established an elaborate set of standards that need to be met prior to action by the town.

A similar situation arose in Lafayette after several high-profile accidents and a dramatic increase in speeding. Measure M. Measure K. Measure J. Neighbors meeting in kitchens and living rooms to address a move to build more houses in the area.

So, how about you? Your neighborhood? What are the issues in your neck of our woods? Or is everything cool in your suburban hood?

East Bay Daze will be profiling the efforts of several neighborhood groups who have tackled the respective systems in their Lamorinda towns - with varying degrees of success. Let us know how it went for you... or if you've given up and just let things roll, and let others build the ulcers.

Write us by clicking HERE and keep fighting, the Good Fight!

Some Backyard Color, Amid the Gloom

It was a tough week, wasn't it? Lots of bad news out there, much of it almost too painful to report. But it happened, and we will write about it.

As a short but necessary interlude, however, we bring you this shot of some backyard Orinda tulips - just sprouting and sent in by "Grace on Overhill Road."

Thanks, Grace, we needed this.

Fourth OPD Officer, a St. Mary's Grad - Dies of His Wounds

One of five Oakland PD officers shot during a running gunbattle with a 27-year-old parolee armed with an assault rifle was a graduate of St. Mary's College, Moraga.

Officer John Hege, 41, was declared brain dead at Highland Hospital Sunday after one of the worst shooting incidents involving Oakland police in department history. Four officers were killed, a fifth officer sustained a bullet graze to the head.

Reached by telephone late Saturday, Hege's father, Dr. John S. Hege told Salon: "He had an injury to his brain ... and it's not clear he can survive. ... It is a stunning thing to face, although we were always aware of the risks."

Hege, a retired physician from neighboring Piedmont, said his son loved being a policeman. He worked well with people and was an Eagle Scout. He played high school football and wrestled. He umpired and coached even as a youth, and joined the Oakland Police Department reserves.

After graduating from St. Mary's he taught high school physical education for a few years in nearby Hayward before joining the police department a decade ago.

He recently became a motorcyle traffic patrol officer, Dr. Hege said, adding, "He liked excitement."

San Francisco PAN-ache Arrives In Lamorinda

For a small little series of villages we have a nice, if somewhat stoic, selection of local restaurants to choose from.

The urbanization of Lamorinda began a few years ago, reflecting the change in dining attitudes and influx of new arrivals with money to burn and gentrified tastes to satisfy.

Now, we like the old standards (Casa, Mondellos, Millies, Squirrel Cafe for the eggs and coffee cake when the doctor says we've been good), Uncle Yu's. But then the newcomers started showing up, with mixed results. Orinda House tried to bring a little San Francisco jazz club to the area and has a following but never really caught on like Chow's, which still packs them in.

Late entries have included Metro, which took over a strip mall location with outdoor seating and turned it into a fun place to dine, have a couple of drinks and sample an assortment of good food delivered by a steady staff who looked like they were having fun.

Latest to join the party is Artisan, piloted by chef John Marquez, a man with a history of performance at top-flight restaurants and now at the helm of his own Brown Street location in Lafayette. We've been to his apprentice restaurants and plan to visit his soon, but in the interim serve up the generally great reviews from friends who have made it out there.

If you've been there, let us know what you think. EastBayDaze will be talking with John and his partner Elizabeth about their plans for the restaurant and his menu, soon.

Low Level Jet Pass Rattles Nerves and Windows

A low level jet pass by two military-style "fast movers" rattled Moragans this afternoon as they came in off the deck and buzzed our friends at St. Mary's College a little after 1 p.m.

Officials at Buchanan field were tracking the jets, roundly cheered by students at the college. They disappeared to the East, and were believed to be part of a local air show.

Buchanan Field said they may be part of the jet demonstration team "the Patriots."

All the EastBayDaze knows is that if you come in low like that, expect us Moragans to retaliate with "Triple A," Anti-aircraft Avacadoes hurled skyward from our orchards.

Lamorindans, the Sheriff Eye Tauscher's Seat

With Alamo Democrat Ellen Tauscher apparently on her way to Washington and a new State Department post (pending that pesky confirmation, of course), candidates to take her place in our oddly shaped and even more oddly composed 10th District are lining up.

Republican contendors could include 2008 nominee Nicholas Gerber of Moraga and California Republican Party Vice Chairman Tom Del Beccaro of Lafayette. Just for grins, Contra Costa County Sheriff Warren Rupf's name has been mentioned as a possible suitor, and in an interview with the Contra Costa Times he didn't exactly rule it out.

As for the Democrats, the Times is reporting that state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, already has the blessing of Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, who decided to stay with his campaign for Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2010. Other possibilities include Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, D-Alamo; former Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla, D-Pittsburg; Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Susan Bonilla; former BART director and former PG&E executive Dan Richard of Walnut Creek; and former Lafayette Mayor Scott Talan.

East Bay Daze will key on the local folks to see what they're up to. Meanwhile, political wags predict, the race for the 10th District seat could be a hot one. And of such things, do good politics come?

We'll see.

What's the Speed Limit On YOUR Street - Really?

We've had two memorials to speed-attributed accident victims on our street in recent years. One was believed to be going 65mph, the other near to 100mph.

Our street is posted for 25mph.

Now, I know we're not alone in this. My neighbors stop me all the time, saying they're unable to get out of their driveways safely because of speeders. That they've been "pushed home" by Mommy's in behemoth SUVs who refused to ease off the accelarator. For me, though, the defining moment came when our street was blocked off for police and cleanup crews, news helicopters buzzing overhead and the whine of a Porsche at high speed came up our street and braked sharply when the driver spotted the police cars and barricades.

"What's going on?" asked Mr. Porsche, suddenly interested.

"Fatal accident," I responded, wondering how anyone could be so clueless. "Going way too fast."

I thought he would get the hint, but he only nodded.

"Yeah," he said, before spinning it around and whining off in the other direction to get the morning Mocha. "Nice wide streets in here."

He's not the only one. I see my neighbors routinely cranking it up down our street, taking turns blindly and losing traction, pedestrians stepping up onto the curb to get out of their way. Moraga Police put up one of those portable speed calculators on our street but someone promptly hit it.

I joined the local Traffic Safety Advisory Group, served a year and saw people trying to do good for others torn up because the speed bumps we thought might save a life or two interrupted their morning commute. It was illuminating. Eventually, all but one of the bumps were taken out. The ambient speed level on that street, I'm told, has risen back to old pre-bump levels.

So be it. You've spoken. SUV's over safety. So why all the complaints? All the people still coming to the present TSAC asking "that somebody do something?" The folks on Larch in Moraga have complied with TSAC's new process for traffic calming in their neighborhood and have learned a thing or two about their neighbors and the town's approach to the problem.

More on that later.

For now, tell us what the speed limit is on your street, and then tell us what you think it really is.

We're on Fernwood. We're posted for 25mph. Ambient is about 40 plus, I would say, and we've certainly seen it go way beyond that.

Write us by clicking HERE... and good luck.

More Lamorindans (Including Us) Turning to Xeriscaping

If you're tethered to East Bay Mud's pipeline you've gotten the bad news - rates are up and penalties are in effect for over use.

As a result, more and more locals are busy tearing out - or having their gardeners tear out - volleyball court-sized patches of lawn and replacing it with the latest craze in conservancy - xeriscaping.

What?

I know, it sounds sorta spacey. For the record, we're doing it. Perhaps not as fast as our free watering neighbors would like, but we're bringing in rock and planning hardscape we hope will give our yard a natural, "Old California" feel that will also take us off the EBMUD meter.

It has been a challenge, with my wife and I spending long hours researching native species and finding sources for them. It has also been rewarding, as we learn more about the flora and fauna of our native state and how we can make our home look less like the tract-style rancher it is and more like a country cottage.

I'll let you know how it goes. You just have to promise to stop staring at our place and shaking your heads as you walk by - or letting your dogs provide the ultimate criticism, but that's another story.

So, we're off to find native Pacific Madrones and grasses and stone and a mason who isn't planning to buy a house with the money he'll get for a pathway, a mailbox and a low wall.

If any of you are on the same mission, let us know how it's going. Pictures always welcome, and we'll share your successes with your neighbors as we move toward drought tolerant landscaping and drip irrigation.

Stay in touch, we'll do the same! You can reach us by clicking HERE.

Tauscher Says "Yes."

Having the Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Labs as part of her congressional district may have helped Alamo's Ellen O. Tauscher catch the eye of the Obama administration. News that the former investment banker is under consideration for a posting to the State Department as undersecretary for arms control and international security leaked Tuesday.

Tauscher, 57, accepted the White House reach-out Wednesday after much "soul searching" and long talks with her family.

"Keeping nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists, making sure other countries do not obtain them and, one day, I hope, ridding the world of these terrible weapons, has become my passion and, I hope, my life's work," she said in a prepared statement.

The prospect of confirmation proceedings, which could take months, still looms. If confirmed, Tauscher would serve as a key adviser on arms control, nonproliferation and disarmament issues to the president and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Tauscher, who was challenged in last year's general election by Republican Nicholas Gerber of Moraga, was first elected in 1996. If appointed, an election would be held to replace her for the rest of her two-year term which ends in January 2011.

Her 10th Congressional district is a strange four-county hodgepodge of communities - including Lamorinda - as well as the super-secret Livermore-based labs.

Coyotes - In the Crosshairs?

You've probably seen them, boldly prancing down School Street or darting across Moraga Way. My last Coyote sighting was just two weeks ago as he was stealthily making his way across my backyard, his pack mate standing on St. Mary's Road just after dusk and letting loose with that wild, glorious yip-howl.

Most of us love that sound, even though we know it's a precursor to a nocturnal hunt - and that another animal is probably going to meet its end. The problem is, some say, that they're too used to living with us, and are no longer afraid - and therefore, dangerous.

Denver, Colorado, no stranger to critters, has gone the way of most Western towns/cities who have pushed outside of their old boundaries and into the coyote's habitat. And now they're reaching for the rifle.

After some highly publicized accounts of pets being consumed and one or two half-hearted "attacks" on humans, they hired a government hunter who has been given license to take any animal he deems "aggressive." So now we've got a man living in a trailer adorned with traps and pelts and a hi-powered, bipod-mounted rifle "thinning" the Coyote packs in Denver's suburbs.

Will it happen here? We'll see. Given the area's reaction to other species: e.g. Woodpeckers, beavers, Mountain Lion... I'm sure it won't be long before someone finds what's left of their beloved Manx and howls for blood of their own.

Dale Zenor - Two Years and Still No Justice

Those of us with long memories may recall the horrific accident virtually in front of Acalanes High School two years ago, nearly to the day.

That's right, it has been two years since a man named Dale Zenor was killed in that wreck, several others injured, and a man named David Caspillo, now 40, walked to the ambulance with minor injuries.

Witnesses saw Caspillo's BMW M3 blow a stop sign, accelerate and strike several cars waiting for the light at Pleasant Hill Road.

Caspillo drove his BMW in Sports Car Club of America autocross tournaments. Lafayette police estimate his BMW was doing 50 mph in a school zone as he hit the intersection, rear-ending Zenor's Miata. It hurtled through the air and crashed, killing Zenor. Five other cars were struck. There were no skid marks, indicating Caspillo did not attempt to brake.

That was March 22, 2007. Caspillo was subsequently charged with felony vehicular manslaughter. He entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity but has yet to be brought to trial.

We are left to wonder where the justice is in this. Zenor is dead, several other people were injured. Caspillo walks free, and has been seen driving himself to his court appearances - the ones he comes to.

There's talk of a trial, in June. But there have been so many delays that relatives and friends are wondering what forces are at work in this case.

East Bay Daze invites anyone with any insight into this case to please advise us as to how it could have gone on for so long without resolution, with the accused allowed behind the wheel again. We would particularly like to hear from law enforcement or anyone in the county prosecutor's office who can, hopefully, enlighten us as to what a growing number of local people believe is a travesty of justice.

Motorcyclists Say They Have to Get Nude to be Noticed... Do You Buy It?

I dunno folks, this has been a pretty consistent message from the bike riding community (of which I once are one - huh?). Here's the latest from our bike-riding cousins in Australia.

The claim is that motorists don't pay attention to them when sharing the road, that they are perishing in inordinate numbers, and that they have to take drastic measures to be seen and heard on the road.

What do you think of these arguments?

While I agree motorcyclists do pay for the freedom the lifestyle affords, I also believe that much of what is befalling them on the roads today is because of the way they drive. That said, motorists are often at fault, as well - but I believe the whole issue has more to do with the general degradation of driving skills in this country than the deliberate targeting of one segment of the motoring public over another.

The "Loud Pipes Save Lives" argument has been tried and is hogwash, pure and simple. But if you members of the two-wheeled set think you need to strip down to the buff to get noticed - and are willing to risk that hellacious case of resultant road rash - so be it.

Ride safe.

Great Public Art - Does Lamorinda Have Any?

It has been said that the greatness of a community can be measured by the pride it takes in itself and the outward appearance it shows to visitors and the rest of the world.

That said, after nearly a lifetime in Lamorinda, I am left to wonder why the area cannot afford or has not acquired a worthy piece of public art or memorial of some kind, something besides the bronze of LaSalle at St. Mary's or the painted rock overlooking Rheem Center.


Peter Pan Statue, Hyde Park, London

I've talked with artists and architects on occasion and they, too, have wondered why our towns and our median incomes are not sufficient to bring something nice to town besides sandwich boards and fast food signs with foot-high plastic letters.

Have I missed something? I liked the first one I pictured here, admittedly more for its commentary on the financial scene in New York, but I have seen other great works (like the famous Peter Pan statue) and wonder if we can get our hands on something similar.

Whaddaya think? Barking up the wrong tree? Money better spent on sports fields and fireworks? You tell us... write us by clicking HERE.

Ready for a Roundabout?

If you've been abroad you've been through one. Perhaps even caught in one.

They're meant to funnel traffic onto adjoining side roads with maximum efficiency and, unlike their American cousins, give you a second chance if you miss your turn and have to go around again.

Moraga is considering just such a proposal for the intersection of Rheem Blvd. and St. Mary's Road which, shall we say, can get a little speedy at times. Residents living on Rheem have resolved themselves to a number of accidents at that location, including one fatal believed to have occurred at speeds approaching 100 mph (Rheem is legally posted for 35mph).

Some have tried to get the road shut down to through-traffic, citing an old developer's promise. But that, guys, just ain't happening, so the town and TSAC (Traffic Safety Advisory Committee) is looking at this option as well as others.

They're expensive, and some people don't like them - their being so darn foreign and all. What do you think? Would it solve the problem and slow people down, making it possible for trail users to cross Rheem without having to take their life in their hands, or is it pie in the sky?

You tell us.

Cutting Down on Neighborhood Noise Pollution

Lafayette Police Contact Local Man Seen Near Springhill School

Parents of children at Springhill Elementary School had been advised to be on the lookout for a man who was seen slowly following three Springhill students and their grandmother along Quandt Road Feb. 27.

Springhill Principal Bruce Wodhams issued an advisory to parents shortly after the incident, noting that there have been three additional reports of this individual following children in recent weeks. A license number was obtained and quick work by Officers Sullivan, Dennison, McDevitt, Parker and Detective Hernandez led them to the van and full identification of the man in question within 24 hours.

LPD Chief Mike Hubbard says the man waved at children "to be friendly" after they waved at him and that he was driving slowly in the area because he was a delivery man for a local business.

So, no immediate worries. Swift work by LPD and the parents and kids are obviously on the alert - as they should be.

East Bay Daze thanks the Lafayette Police Department for the update and reminds all Lamorindans that it's still okay to "be friendly," and cautious.

Is It Just Me, Or Are More Drivers On Their Cellie Than Ever?

Ever since that unfortunate incident with the squirrel when Dear Old Dad had me on his lap, teaching me how to handle the stick and clutch in our Fire-Engine Red Ford Wagon, I knew what he meant when he said "Pay attention, especially when you're driving."

I really got that part. And, seeing what can happen when you don't pay attention while driving later in life, I've always believed in it. Dad was right.

So, we pass a law about cell phones, determine that they are distracting even while walking much less while driving, and let people know they can be cited for using them while behind the wheel.

Now, most people in Lamorinda tip their waiter $20 a throw at lunch so a ticket of that nature isn't exactly much of a deterrent, you know? Is that why everyone seems to be gabbing and texting while driving these days?

I mean, dang, I was on Reliez the other night in the Prius-apus and I counted 13 out of 40 drivers on the cellie with their BFFs or Paris Hilton, or both.

So put me down as confused - again. My normal state, I guess. We got a law, everyone pretty much ignores it, and we regularly hear where people on cell phones or texting get in wrecks that seem always to take innocent lives.

Just asking for the Logic Check. Feel free to weigh in on this one.

Catamounts, Coyotes and the Legendary Albino Raccoon

Lamorinda is Critter Town, USA.

Depending on your orientation, that's part of the allure. Those of us who have been here awhile like seeing Coyotes loping across our backyards and don't mind stepping over the occasional carcass now and then.

It goes with the territory. They were here first and grandpa and grandma liked having them around even though they had to dispatch one or two whenever the chickenhouse got raided and hen count got too low.

"Ain't they beautiful?" Grandpap used to say, gazing admiringly at the elegance of a grazing deer or even a Turkey Vulture on the wing - it was all the same to him. "Ain't they grand?"

Yeah, we think they are. Even though some of our neighbors take a dim view of "noisy" owls and "dangerous" cougars roaming our hills and asking, yet again, for the nearest government hunter.

Here we go again. We move into an area, have our kids and drive our SUVs but heaven forbid we should have beavers dam a nearby creek or an owl announce his presence during "Desperate Housewives." I mean, oh my Gawd! They could hurt our kids!"

Bat Shit. Another of gramp's favorite sayings, and another of his favorite creatures. So, to all of you asking why we're seeing more critters in the neighborhoods these days it's because we're building our homes on theirs and uprooting their food supply... and they're on the move.

Love the land and it will love you back. As for the albino Raccoon, it was the long-sought-after and elusive creature generations of St. Mary's kids used as a ploy to drag lowerclassmen out into the woods at night. It has never been officially spotted, but if you do, leave him alone!

The fine young men (and women?) of Overachievers, Inc., a misnomer if ever there was one, are back scouring our neighborhoods.

These people come to your door with a well-rehearsed spiel, always the same: "I need help to go to a. College b. Maui c.Europe, we live just down the street at XX address, my mom is so and so and she's the one walking our golden retrievers past your house every morning."

When asked for I.D. they present a faded and very small "permit." Ask for the required police permit and you'll get: "that's all they gave me." Press them and they fold like a bad suit.

You may remember that one of these people was sentenced to life in prison for the 2005 rape/murder of Lafayette resident Elizabeth Ann Vuori, 90. The "Overachiever" shown above talked his way into the woman's home and then he killed her.

They were in Moraga again Thursday night, dropped off by a rental van/SUV and left to forage through our neighborhood. MPD was alerted and Interim Chief Bob Priebe, aka "Gator Wrestler" (great story), says: "They are bused in and we continually chase them around. Their 'parent' group contact phone numbers are never answered and their web-site is a sham. Please advise everyone to send them packing if they show up on your doorstep."

Thanks, Chief, we will.

Lafayette Police Chief Mike Hubbard reminded Lafayette residents to call police when approached by solicitors of this type.

"Please call us immediately if you get a solicitor at your door," he says. "We have a brand new ordinance that is very strict. We have already started issuing citations and we want to get the word out quickly that we take soliciting very seriously."

Again, this applies to Lafayette residents only as Moraga does not yet have a similar ordinance in place.

We tried to contact the Illinois company that sends these people to our homes but the number we had had been disconnected.